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Fracture again!!

Posted , 4 users are following.

habui
habui

I had 5th Metatarsal fracture, about 2 years ago and I was in typical plaster of paris for 5 weeks. I belong to a south asian country and medical system is totally different there. For those 5 weeks, I stayed at home and wasn't allowed to walk, so I have no practice on crutches. Now, 2 weeks ago, I had again 5th metatarsal fracture, just by falling over while I was going on a trip, so, I am in the cast again. I live in Italy now, and the crutches suck(also because it's a hilly area). I started using a walking stand but hopping on one foot for 20, 25 feet is really tiring for my healthy leg. Also, I have stairs and uphill area right outside my place. Going to work through public transport is again a havoc because that bus is high. I am using a wheel chair to move in work place but people are like, 'why don't you do crutches for long distance(50 something feet) without sitting? it's not hard'...I think right now, no one is understanding me..only I know how painful and tired my healthy leg gets, hopping on it. People, over here, think that getting a lower leg cast and moving with it is not hard rolleyes I have started to become really depressed by this behaviour and also by my dependence on others. My bf is helping me as much as he can but I have become really sensitive and I feel like I am making him tired. I don't want to stress him. He says that it's just a thing of practice(using crutches or walking stand) and that he doesn't understand why is it tiring for me. I don't know what to do!!

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest habui

    Posted

    THERE IS A PERIOD OF ADJUSTING TO THIS EVENT THAT HAPPENED IN YOUR LIFE.  MY RECENT ACCIDENT BREAKING MY ARM HAS BEEN VERY HARD BUT I HAD TO SEE ANOTHER PURPOSE TO IT OTHER THAN THE ACCIDENT THAT IS CONFINING, BEING DEPENDENT ON OTHERS AND THE PAIN.  I LEARNED THINGS ABOUT MYSELF THAT WERE NOT FUN BUT NECESSARY FOR MY GROWTH AS A MATURE PERSON WHO IS BETTER, NOT BITTER.   SPEND THIS TIME SO THAT WHEN YOU ARE RESTORED TO HEALTH YOU CAN LOOK BACK AND SAY THIS EXPERIENCE SERVED A GOOD PURPOSE.
    • habui
      habui Guest

      Posted

      Thanks for such a kind advice Nancy smile. I am trying not to be a bitter person but when I am in pain and people, rather than helping me or at least understanding me, try to judge me or think I am a coward for not doing crutches, I start hating them.  I might have adjusted to the situation better if I was in my country. I have no family here, I don't understand italian language, also I don't know their rules or how their system works. For example, I got this fracture at the airport, while going to UK, I got the cast in UK and the doctor over there said to get the next checkup from Italy. When I came back to Italy, I had already been in cast for 2 weeks and I contacted my dr. and asked him to make an appointment with orthopedaic, so that I can take care of recovery, also I wanted to know if I could do any movement on injured foot using boot or something but the appointment I got is after two weeks from now, that would make me a month in cast. Four weeks in cast and no body will even check if everything is right, if my foot is healing, if the cast is fine or I need something else!!! THIS IS FRUSTRATING FOR ME. In my country, it wasn't so hard because all I needed to do was to go to the hospital and orthopedaic would do the xray and discuss the recovery(I did this when I got plastered two years ago). So, this late system is really irritating for me. I cannot go back to my country as it is 15 hours of traveling.
    • Guest
      Guest habui

      Posted

      DEAR HABUI

      I DO UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION.  I KEPT REMINDING MYSELF HOW MY LIFE WAS BEFORE AND ALL THE WORK I HAD TO DO IN THE SPRINGTIME AND HOW I CHERISHED BEING INDEPENDENT AND NOW I HAD TO LEARN TO BE DEPENDENT ON OTHERS AND HOW MANY DEAR FRIENDS I MADE AFTER I BECAME GRATEFUL AND THAT I WASN'T ALL ALONE.  I LEARNED TO TRUST AND BE MORE PATIENT AND KNEW THAT I WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR OTHERS WHEN THEY NEEDED HELP.   YOU WILL RECOVER FROM THIS MISHAP BUT YOU CAN LEARN A LIFE LESSON FROM THIS CONFINING TIME.   TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS TIME STARTING RIGHT NOW, DO NOT FOCUS ON YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE -  THERE'S SOMEONE WHO COULD USE YOUR PRESENCE  - SEEK THIS ONE

    • habui
      habui Guest

      Posted

      You are right Nancy. I am beginning to see true faces of people. Some help me really good, take care of me and some don't care and some are judgemental. I am waiting anxiously and counting each day passing to get my appointment with orthopedaic in hope of being able to walk again. But I am learning that no one should be judged in this situation, whether they are strong or not. And I'll try to help everyone I see like this. This has made me realize what crippled people and old people go through.
  • teresa62894
    teresa62894 habui

    Posted

    Hi there,

    Dont dispare, crutches are the absolute worst and i could not handle them at all. I could maybe make it like 10 ft without needing to sit down. I was not weight bearing for almost 3.5 months after 2 surgeries on my 5th metatarsal and my knee walker was my saviour. I dont know if they have mobility rental companies where you are , but you could try renting one. I have also seen them sold online on places like ebay and amazon. The below picture is what they look like and honestly they are worth every penny. 

    • habui
      habui teresa62894

      Posted

      Thankyou dear Teresa. I searched about knee walkers, etc. They are not being rented over here but I went to a shop sold them. But it's so steep over here that a knee walker cannot provide much stability.
    • habui
      habui teresa62894

      Posted

      What do you think about the stability of knee walkers in mountainuous areas? I would really like to know your suggestion! smile
  • anna53550
    anna53550 habui

    Posted

    Hi Habui,

    I am so sorry to hear that you have broken your 5th metatarsal again. I fully agree with you that crutches are miserable. I broke my fifth metatarsal left foot almost 6 weeks ago. I was non weight bearing for the first 4 and a half weeks and I was completely miserable. It was very difficult to go from being independent and active to unexpectedly having to rely on people for almost everything. I had to mentally take one day at a time and tell myself that each day I was one day closer to walking. It was tough, so hang in there. I know the non weight bearing period feels like an eternity.

    Also, I found that I struggled with pain while using crutches. My good foot hurt worse than my fractured foot. My left knee hurt terribly from the weight of the boot on my foot and from having to keep my foot off the ground at all times. In fact, everything hurt - abs, back, arms, hands. Perhaps you can look into a knee scooter to see if you could rent or purchase one. I know you can purchase them online also. I chose to suffer through with the crutches, but many people I talked to said the knee scooter really helped them out.

    Good luck to you, Habui. I'm sending healing thoughts your way.

    Anna

    • Guest
      Guest anna53550

      Posted

      GOOD INFORMATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR FRIEND HABUI.I JOIN YOU IN SENDING HEALING THOUGHTS TO AND FOR HIM
    • habui
      habui anna53550

      Posted

      Thankyou so much Anna. Really needed good thoughts. Yes, I searched for knee scooter but they don't rent it. They do sell them but it's really steep area. Also, yesterday I did 50 feet or more with walking stand and then my whole body ached like hell. I had to take off from work today. But good thing is that today, I learned how to wash my hair in wash basin, all by myself, I felt good smile
    • habui
      habui Guest

      Posted

      Thankyou Nancy. Also, I am a girl smile
    • Guest
      Guest habui

      Posted

      THANKS FOR CORRECTION, DON'T KNOW WHY I ASSUMED YOU WERE A GUY.
    • Guest
      Guest habui

      Posted

      I SO RELATED TO YOUR HAIR WASHING.    AFTER WEEKS OF NO SHAMPOO I FINALLY DECIDED TO TRY IT WITH MY ONE GOOD ARM.  IT WAS SO AWKWARD BUT LIKE YOU SAID I FELT BETTER WHEN I HAD ACCOMPLISHED THIS  - SOMETHING BEFORE THAT WAS SO EASY.   THEN I HAD TO COMB IT AND STYLE IT THE BEST I COULD AS I COULD NOT RAISE THE BAD ARM TO CURL IT.  YESTERDAY I WAS ABLE TO CURL IT A LITTLE BIT AND IT LOOKS SO MUCH BETTER.  NOW I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT EXERCISES I CAN DO TO BUILD UP THE MUSCLES AND GIVE ME MOBILITY AFTER BREAKING MY WRIST/ARM.    ANY SUGGESTIONS?
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